The South African stallion ranks suffered a devastating blow with the passing of leading sire Dynasty on Monday. The 19-year-old stallion died of a stroke, barely a week after Wonderous Climber became his 63rd Stakes winner with victory in Turffontein’s Aquanaut Handicap.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift, the son of Fort Wood and the Commodore Blake mare Blakes Affair put together a glittering career.
Trained by Dean Kannemeyer on behalf of owners Fieldspring Racing, he scored nine times from two to four and was crowned the country’s Horse of the Year and Champion Classic male at the end of a sophomore season which saw him put together a stellar Gr1 peat of the Cape Derby, SA Guineas, Daily News 2000 and the Vodacom Durban July. In the latter, he jumped from the extreme 20 draw and despite racing wide for some way, produced a powerful finishing burst to win going away.
Dynasty retired to Highlands Stud (now Ridgemont Highlands) in 2005 and in time became the famed nursery’s flagship stallion. Although never Champion sire, he was a permanent fixture among the country’s elite, his best position being second on the General Sires List in 2013 and 2014.
Ironically, in 2014 he was denied the sires title by the weather gods when the final big-race meeting of the season, Greyville’s Gold Cup day, was postponed by a week due to a waterlogged track, thus falling into the new racing season. Involved in a tight race with Captain Al at the time, history will show that the victory of Futura in the Gr1 Champions Cup would have assured him of the title.
Nevertheless, Dynasty enjoyed a stellar stud innings and has the distinction of siring no less than three Horse of the Year recipients. First-crop son Irish Flame, winner of the Gr1 SA Derby and Daily News 2000, received the accolade in 2009, while Legislate and Futura followed in 2014 and 2015 respectively. Legislate won all of the Gr1 Cape Derby, Daily News 2000, Vodacom Durban July and Rising Sun Gold Challenge, while Futura accounted for the Gr1 J&B Met, L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and two renewals of the Champions Cup.
Dynasty’s 15 Gr1 winners also include the champions Beach Beauty, Bela-Bela, Just Sensual, Lady In Black and It’s My Turn. Twice the country’s champion older mare, Beach Beauty had few equals amongst her peers and annexed two renewals each of the Gr1 Garden Province and Paddock Stakes, whilst beating the males twice in the Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes.
Bela-Bela’s victories in the Gr2 Daisy Filies Guineas and Gr1 Woolavington 2000 assured her of the title of champion three-year-old filly in 2015, a feat emulated by Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Just Sensual two years later. Gr1 Thekwini Stakes victress Lady In Black garnered the champion juvenile filly title in 2016, while It’s My Turn, trained like his sire by Dean Kannemeyer at the time, lifted the champion stayer’s title last season when he won all of the Track And Ball Derby, Gold Vase and Gold Cup in the space of just over a month. This season has brought further classic success, with Front And Centre winning the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas.
Although it’s early days yet, Dynasty’s role as a sire of sires is off to a promising start. Jackson, who joined his sire at Ridgemont Highlands in 2014, already counts Gr1-placed Can You Feel It and Gr3-placed Mr Crumford amongst his first crop runners. Legislate and Futura, together with Gr1 Cape Guineas hero Act Of War will make their bow in the sales ring this year, where their sire proved a powerhouse. No stranger to his progeny commanding seven-figure prices, Dynasty sired the record-breaking R5.2 million top lot at last year’s National Sale.
By Ada Van der Bent
